Dylan Morrison ~ The Prodigal Prophet

As we continue to recover from disillusionment and anger, following our traumatic departure from our particular faith nursery, Divine Love, in its comprehensive wisdom, seems to have every base covered.

One such base is that of validation; an accepted seeing and acknowledgement of our past experiences and present condition on the Way. Unfortunately many of us from a religious or spiritual tradition tend to act as Job’s comforters to those who’ve walked out on their previous take on faith, offering slightly smug and often over simplistic advice from the supposed security of our own particular psycho-spiritual Linus blanket. Patronising someone suffering from the cold turkey symptoms of abusive religious belief is, I’m afraid, another nail in their personal

The Road To Recovery

‘faith’ coffin. The recovering wounded religious junkie certainly doesn’t need reassuring Biblical texts or the latest talk by a cutting edge preacher, but simply the love and acceptance of a friend; a friend without an agenda. Surprisingly such a friend often comes from a completely different spiritual background to ourselves.

As the seeds of  validation slowly take root within we begin to realise that our view of truth and reality is as valid as anyone else’s. Such thinking is usually contrary to the religious mindset that we have just left, which operated in a community of theological and sociological conformity. It would appear to be a wishy-washy, non belief liberalism to the most ardent of Yeshua followers, yet it is an essential step on the journey out of psycho-spiritual co-dependency. The one in the desert needs to find a connection within that is authentic, a contact with something real on which they can rest the weight of their future life. I believe that platform to be the Self, or spirit spark, planted in us by Divine Love at the beginning of our conscious Journey.

Whilst playing the belief game of institutional religion this sense of Self is often buried under a collage of Biblical texts and associated teachings, presented to us as ‘who we are in Christ’. A new quasi-religious self  is psychically formed after many hours of group indoctrination and social dynamics. We ride this new identity like a desert wanderer who’s unexpectedly received a lift home by a passing and extremely benevolent truck driver. In times of inner turmoil many of us are only too happy to receive such a defined and seemingly secure identity, with none less than God as its official sponsor. Yet, many years up the psychic road, a new search begins – the search for an authentic Self, the drop of Divine Love that has been encased in the plaster of traditional religious jargon and strong group identity.

During this time of inner exploration, Spirit appears willing to take a back seat, patiently waiting as, like a confused toddler, we stare in the mirror wondering who exactly we’re looking at! The burst of Self Awareness that will surely follow is essential to our inner healing. Once initiated, Divine Presence can once more begin to rebuild our spiritual sensitivity, the psychic ability to hear and most importantly trust our Inner Whisperings. Following such a rebirth, we amazingly begin to tap into a Strength that paradoxically appears to flow from within and without. ‘My strength is made perfect in weakness’ begins to make sense  for perhaps the first time on our spiritual Journey. Holy Breath, is mysteriously released into the wastelands our fragmented psyche-soul, bursting forth from the spirit-Spirit pipeline that is once more open for business.

What now?

More about that in my next Post !